Daniel P. Douglas's Blood Wing: A Cold War Noir Thriller, a finalist in the inaugural ProWritingAid Novel Beginnings Contest, is now available in eBook and paperback. The novella is the second entry in the Jack Morrison's Blood & Bourbon Mystery Files, following Blood Tide: A Harbor Noir Thriller.
Set in January 1951, Blood Wing follows ex-LAPD detective turned private investigator Jack Morrison as he probes the death of a Black night-shift janitor at the Douglas Aircraft Company plant in Long Beach. The company dismisses it as an industrial accident without interviewing the widow. The family hires Morrison because the dead man's brother once shared a foxhole with him in Italy during World War II. As Morrison digs deeper, he uncovers a Cold War espionage operation and a murder that the federal government will classify into nonexistence. The story explores justice when the official record will never tell the truth, set against the backdrop of the McCarthy era and the Lavender Scare.
Selected from 14,570 entries worldwide, Blood Wing advanced through a longlist of 183 to become one of ten finalists in the ProWritingAid contest, judged on opening pages, voice, and character. "Being a finalist for the Novel Beginnings Contest is one of the most meaningful moments in my writing life," Douglas said. "I'm grateful to ProWritingAid, the contest readers, and the judges for recognizing Blood Wing."
A novella of roughly 25,000 words, Blood Wing is a complete story readable in a single sitting and works as an entry point to the series. Readers can find Morrison's first case in Blood Tide, set on the Los Angeles waterfront. The author draws on his experience as a U.S. Army veteran and former senior analyst in the U.S. intelligence community to provide authentic detail for the conspiracy and thriller elements.
The announcement of Blood Wing as a contest finalist underscores the growing recognition of Douglas's work. The series combines historical detail with noir conventions, examining themes of racial injustice, governmental secrecy, and personal loyalty. For those interested in Cold War-era thrillers, the novel offers a tightly plotted narrative that sheds light on often-overlooked aspects of American history.
